Introduction

In this blog post, we’re introducing a free and open source Kotlin Multiplatform starter that’s designed to make it easy to build apps for both iOS and Android. We’ll cover the features included in the starter, how it was built, and the benefits it provides to developers. Whether you’re new to Kotlin Multiplatform development or you’re looking for a way to save time on your next project, this starter is a great place to begin. By the end of this post, you’ll have a better understanding of what the starter has to offer and how it can help you build great apps quickly and easily.

Star the template

How this guide is organized

• Brief overview of Kotlin Multiplatform and its benefits

• Libraries installed

• How it saves time and effort

• How our Kotlin Multiplatform starter stands out from Flutter and React Native

• You can contribute to the Project

• Go further with AppKickstarter

Brief overview of Kotlin Multiplatform and its benefits

Kotlin Multiplatform is a technology that allows developers to write shared code between different platforms, such as iOS and Android, using the Kotlin programming language. By using Kotlin Multiplatform, developers can avoid duplicating code and create cross-platform apps with less effort.

The benefits of Kotlin Multiplatform are numerous.

• First, it enables developers to write shared code for common functionality, like networking or data storage, which can significantly reduce development time.

• Second, developers can use platform-specific code for features that require it, such as UI, while still leveraging shared code for everything else. This allows for maximum flexibility and customization.

• Third, Kotlin Multiplatform provides a seamless development experience by allowing developers to use their preferred IDE and build tools.

• As Compose multiplatform continues to stabilize, it’s becoming an increasingly viable choice for sharing UI components and navigation in shared modules. Previously, it was possible to share around 90% of the code without the UI and specific native SDK. However, now with the improved stability of Compose multiplatform, it’s possible to share nearly 100% of the code.

Overall, Kotlin Multiplatform is a powerful tool for developers who want to create high-quality, cross-platform apps with less effort and more flexibility.

Libraries installed

Our free and open source starter comes pre-installed with a variety of libraries and frameworks that are essential for building cross-platform apps in Kotlin Multiplatform.

IOS part

• For iOS UI, we have included SwiftUI, which is a declarative framework for building user interfaces in Swift programming language.

Android part

• For Android UI, we have included Jetpack Compose, which is a modern toolkit for building native Android UI. It uses Kotlin programming language and provides a more intuitive way of building UI components with a declarative approach.

• We have also included Android WorkManager, which is a library that makes it easy to schedule background tasks in Android. This is useful for performing long-running tasks in the background, such as syncing data with a server.

• For navigation in Android Compose, we have included the Android Compose Navigation library, which provides an easy way to navigate between different screens in your app.

• We have also included Accompanist, which is a set of libraries that provides additional functionality to Jetpack Compose. It includes libraries for handling system UI, permissions.

Multiplatform part

• For shared UI, we have included Compose Multiplatform, which allows developers to create a single UI that works across both Android and iOS.

• We have included Moko resources, which is a library for multiplatform localization, making it easy to support multiple languages in your app.

• For logging, we have included Napier, which is a multiplatform logging library that supports various logging backends and provides an easy way to log messages across multiple platforms.

• For dependency injection, we have included Koin, which is a multiplatform DI framework that allows for easy management of dependencies across multiple platforms.

• We have also included SqlDelight, which is a multiplatform database library that provides a consistent way of working with databases across multiple platforms.

• For key-value storage, we have included the Russhwolf Multiplatform Settings library, which allows for easy management of key-value data across multiple platforms.

• We have included Kotlinx-datetime, which is a multiplatform library for working with dates and times across different platforms.

• Finally, we have included Ktor, which is a multiplatform HTTP client library that provides an easy way to make HTTP requests across multiple platforms.

Overall, these popular libraries and frameworks will help developers save time and effort when building cross-platform apps in Kotlin Multiplatform.

Save Time and Effort

Our free and open source starter is a game-changer for developers starting a new Kotlin Multiplatform project.

With pre-built support for popular libraries and common functionality, our starter removes the need for developers to spend time researching and integrating these components themselves. This frees up time for developers to focus on building the unique features of their app, rather than dealing with template code and setup.

How Our Kotlin Multiplatform Starter Stands Out from Flutter and React Native

Kotlin Multiplatform is a technology that is designed to be future-proof.

It enables developers to write code that can be shared across multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, web, desktop, and more.

Compared to other cross-platform frameworks like React Native and Flutter, Kotlin Multiplatform offers several advantages. For example, Kotlin Multiplatform allows developers to write code in Kotlin, a modern and widely-used programming language. Kotlin is designed to be interoperable with Java, which means that developers can easily integrate Kotlin into existing Java-based projects. In addition, Kotlin Multiplatform provides a level of flexibility and control that is not available in other cross-platform frameworks. With Kotlin Multiplatform, developers can choose the libraries, frameworks, and tools that work best for their project, rather than being restricted to a limited set of options.

Another advantage of Kotlin Multiplatform is that it is supported by a large and growing community of developers and companies. This means that there is a wealth of resources and knowledge available for developers who are working with Kotlin Multiplatform.

Overall, our starter is future-proof because it is built on Kotlin Multiplatform, a technology that is designed to be adaptable and flexible in the face of changing technology trends. By using Kotlin Multiplatform, developers can build high-quality cross-platform apps that are well-supported, flexible, and future-proof.

Contribute to the Project!

We encourage all developers who are interested in building cross-platform apps to try out our free and open source starter. Whether you’re new to Kotlin Multiplatform or an experienced developer, our starter can help you get started quickly and easily, while providing a solid foundation for your project. We also welcome contributions from the community.

If you find a bug, have a feature request, or want to contribute code, please feel free to submit a pull request on our GitHub repository. We value the contributions of all members of the community and are committed to building a robust and supportive open source project.

In addition, we welcome feedback from developers who have tried our starter. If you have any suggestions or comments on how we can improve our starter, please let us know.

Upgrade Your Cross-Platform App Development with AppKickstarter

If you find our free and open source starter helpful and want to take your project to the next level, we also offer a premium version called AppKickstarter.

AppKickstarter includes additional features, such as authentication with Firebase, data storage with Firebase, offline data storage with SqlDelight, onboarding screens, and payment integration with RevenueCat.

AppKickstarter also includes dedicated support from our team, ensuring that you have the assistance you need to build the best possible cross-platform app.

If you’re interested in learning more about AppKickstarter and how it can help you take your project to the next level, please visit our website to learn more and purchase your license today.

Upgrade with AppKickstarter

We believe that AppKickstarter is the ultimate tool for building high-quality cross-platform apps, and we’re confident that you’ll love using it as much as we do.